Sheet piling



July 22, 1941. R G|FFORD 2,249,818

SHEET PILING Filed OOC. 22. 1938 Patented July 22, 1941 SHEET FILING il Lester R. GiffordfS't. Lo'lis, Mo., assignor of onehalf to' George. Bell, Jr., ClaytomMo.

` `Appia-atan-oemlmr'22, 193s, seriarNonzsaios (orti-+60) 2 claims.

The present invention relates generally to sheet piling, and more particularly to steel sheet piling comprising interlocked piles each having a plurality of corrugations.

An object of the present invention is to provide novel sheet piling comprising piles each having a plurality of corrugations of a cross-section which increases the strength of the piling for a given thickness of material.

Another object is to provide sheet piling of a cross-section to achieve a tight joint between individual piles.

Another object is to provide sheet piling comprising individual piles of multiple corrugations, the end corrugations of wedged into interlocking relation.

Another object is to provide sheet piling, each individual pile of which comprises multiple corrugations, one end corrugation being of lesser depth than the remaining corrugations to fit within the standard end corrugation of an adjacent pile to provide a wedged joint.

Another object is to provide sheet piles which are of simpliiied construction, and which are adapted to be readily formed into a water-tight wall by being driven into the ground in the usual manner.

Other objects and advantages Will be apparent from the following description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a fragment of a sheet pileconstructed in accordance with the teachings of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a perspective View of a clip adapted to be fixed to the pile shown in Fig. 1;

Fig, 3 is a sideV View of piling comprising a plurality of individual piles of the configuration of the pile shown in Fig. 1; and,

Fig. 4 is a section on the line 4-4 of Fig, 3.

Referring to the drawing more particularly by reference numerals, 5 indicates generally a sheet pile constructed in accordance with the teachings of the present invention (Figs. 1 and 4). The pile 5 includes a plurality of intermediate corrugations 6 and end corrugations 'I and 8 of the crosssection shown in Fig. 4. The intermediate corrugations 6 comprise flat central walls or faces 9 and iiat side walls or faces I0. The end corrugation I includes a flat central wall II of the same width as the flat central walls 9 of the corrugations 6 and flat side walls It! and I2, the wall I2 having a free edge. The end corrugation 8 includes a central flat wall I3, which is of a greater width than the flat central wall 9 of the interwhich are adapted to be Cil mediate corrugations 6 due to the lesser depth thereof, and dat side walls Ill and I4, the side wall I4 terminating in a free edge. The angles A between the side walls and the fiat central walls of the corrugations 6, 1, and 8 are of the same degree.

Clips I5 (Fig. 2), each comprising obtusely disposed portions I6 and I'I, are fastened by welding, or otherwise, to the iiat wall 9 of the corrugation 5 contiguous to the corrugation 'I in a manner to space the portions I'I from the flat side Wall I0, as is evident from an inspection of Fig. 4.

In Figs. 3 and 4, three piles 5 are shown in driven relationship. The piles 5 are preferably driven so that the pressure set up by restrained water, earth, or the like, is in the direction of the arrows B. It is, therefore, apparent that the corrugation 'I of the intermediate pile 5 is forced into a wedge-like sealing engagement with the corrugation 8 of the left-hand pile 5, and that the corrugation 'I of the right-hand pile 5 is forced into wedge-like sealing engagement with the corrugation 8 of the intermediate pile 5. The central flat walls I3 of the corrugations 8 are of predeterminately greater width than the fiat central walls II of the corrugations 1, the depth of the corrugation 8 being less than the depth of corrugation 1, so that the flat side walls II] and I2 of the corrugations 'I are forced into sealing relation with the flat walls I4 and Il), respectively, of the corrugations 8. There is an initial space 20 between the flat central walls II and I3 of suiicient depth to insure clearance so that the pressure of the restrained earth, water, or the like, will produce a wedging action and maintain the seal between adjacent piles 5. The clips I5, of course, are eiective in guiding a pile 5 being driven relative to a driven pile 5, and assist in maintaining contiguous piles 5 in associated relation after they are driven.

The strength of the piles 5 is considerably greater for a given thickness of material than the strength of the conventional piles having a cross-section approximating a sine curve. The use of the described cross-section increases the section modulus of any given width of piling of the same depth parallel to the neutral axis having the same number of corrugations per unit of length of wall.

It is apparent that there has been described a connection between contiguous sheet piles which comprises what may be termed a continuously effective wedge action, The truncated V crosssections of the contacting end corrugations provide this continuously effective wedging action,

ther, the particular angle between the side Walls* and the central Walls of the corrugations may be Varied, as may the Widths of the side walls and central walls. v

It is to be understood that the foregoing description and accompanying drawing have been given by way of illustration and example, and not for purposes of limitation, the invention Vbeing limited only by the claims which follow.

What is claimed is:

1. Sheet piling comprising a plurality of interlocking sheet piles, each pile including a plurality of corrugations, said corrugations comprising in# termediate corrugations and end corrugations of truncated V-conguration, one end corrugation of each pile being of greater face width than the other end corrugation and being adapted to engage in the narrower faced corrugaton of the adjacent pile, the contacting ends of 'contiguous piles being in wedge locked engagement.

2. Sheet piling comprising a plurality of sheet piles, each pile including a plurality of corrugations, each contacting end corrugation including a flat central face and flat side faces, the at central face of .the interiorly disposed contacting corrugation being of greater Width than the fiat central face rof the exteriorly disposed contacting corrugation.

LESTER R. GIFFORD. 

